Johann Zarco made a positive return to MotoGP action at the Aragon Grand Prix, securing ninth place in Saturday’s Sprint to score a championship point on his first weekend back.
The Castrol Honda LCR rider started the Sprint from ninth on the grid after producing a strong qualifying performance earlier in the day. It was Zarco’s first Sprint appearance in three months following his recovery period, but he showed little sign of rust as he immediately settled into the battle for the points.
Zarco made a solid getaway but opted to remain cautious under braking into the opening corner, mindful of the characteristics of the Aragon circuit. Once he found his rhythm, the Frenchman began pushing and enjoyed a strong pace throughout the race.
“I’m happy! Ninth in qualifying and ninth in the Sprint. Getting a point in the Sprint shows that coming back here was a good idea,” Zarco said.
“I felt good and had the pace, so I tried to do as well as possible.”
The Honda rider stayed mistake-free as he fought with his rivals for the final points-paying positions. However, managing the rear tyre became increasingly challenging in the closing laps, costing him some time as he tried to close the gap ahead.
“It was a great Sprint. I made a good start, but I was careful under braking for the first corner because of the characteristics of this track. After a few turns, I felt good enough to attack and enjoy it,” he explained.
“Then I lost some time trying to catch my rivals while managing the rear tyre, which was demanding over the last few laps.”
Despite the late tyre-management challenge, Zarco held on to ninth at the chequered flag, completing a solid comeback and immediately returning to the points.
The result provided an encouraging start to his Aragon weekend, with Zarco pleased with both his performance and the progress made by the team.
“It’s been a positive day, we’ve done a good job, we’ve got good motivation, and I’m really happy,” Zarco said.
